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Thread: Newbie on fertilization!

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    Newbie on fertilization!

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    Hello!

    I had posted this in the Fertilization and Algae forum but it seems that no one notice my post. Maybe I posted at the wrong place. So, I'm here!

    I am still a newbie in keeping plants and have zero experience with them. When I read about the fertilizers that you guys used for your plants, I have more questions than answers. I'm really bad with chemistry and biology. So can anyone explain give me a rough summary of what plants usually need? And what are macro and micro fertilizers? How do I make my plants bubble?

    In my 1.5X1X1 ft tank I have ADA Amazonia, Ehiem classic, 36w PL light, CO2 at 1 bubble per 2 seconds starting the moment the timer switch on the lights. High bioload too, about 90 pygmy rasboras, 3 panda cories, 1 hillstream loach, and two otos, 8 Dario darios.
    Thomas

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    Macro: N, P and K
    Micro: other (lots of them ) just take a lookon the "seachem trace" soulution

    How do I make my plants bubble?
    No idea, my plant buble by it self. One thing I notice is if I increase the CO2, it will bubble faster. For example with 1bps my plants bubble 2 hours after light on, if I increase it to 2bps it bubble 1 hour after light on. So I guess you need more than enough light, CO2 and ferteliser to make it bubble.
    -Robert
    Aquascaping is a marriage between Art and Farming
    My Blog: http://aquatic-art.blogspot.com/

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    Quote Originally Posted by Shadow View Post
    No idea, my plant buble by it self. One thing I notice is if I increase the CO2, it will bubble faster.
    What is the temperature in your tank? I always thought that temperature plays a very important role as well (what two of the LFS I know claimed).

    So is the temperature beneficial to the plants' health or the photosynthesis process?

    Also, is there a cheaper alternative to the trace elements like in the Seachem Fourish? I bought potassium sulphate powder from C328 on the owner's advice, so is there something like that for all the fertilizers, even trace elements?
    Thomas

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    I have coupes of tank with and without fans, with fans 27~28 decree C without fans 29~30 degree C. Temperature is important for moss, moss grow differently in different temperature. Most plant should be ok around 28~30 degree C

    Cheaper trace would be from Lushgrow. Probably the same brand as your KH2PO4. By the way did you buy KN03 as well? you should.
    -Robert
    Aquascaping is a marriage between Art and Farming
    My Blog: http://aquatic-art.blogspot.com/

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    Potassium sulphate is K2SO4 and not KH2PO4.

    Regards,
    Peter Gwee
    Plant Physiology by Taiz and Zeiger

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    Quote Originally Posted by thomaspkc View Post
    So can anyone explain give me a rough summary of what plants usually need? And what are macro and micro fertilizers? How do I make my plants bubble?
    Plants need elements like nitrogen, potassium, phosphorous. The aforementioned 3 are needed to large amounts (macro) compared to the rest of the elements they need like iron, sulfur, calcium, magnesium, bla bla bla (micro). If any of these elements are missing, growth is affected.

    Generally you add nitrogen, potassium and phosphorous through the chemicals KNO3 and KH2PO4. The rest can be supplied via a trace element mix like Seachem Flourish. I also like to supply Seachem Equilibrium for additional nutrients.

    Bubbling plants are easy to get. You need CO2 injection and good nutrient dosage and adequate lights. I got my plants bubbling like mad on my first set up with DIY CO2 and a newbie dosage of some general fertiliser for aquatic plants from my LFS.

    What plants do you have in your 1.5ft? Imho that's a real high bioload, lol. Plant mass counts for bubbling too. The reasoning is that more plants = faster rate of water getting saturated with gases and thus bubbling starts.

    P.S. KH2PO4 is potassium phosphate.

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    Quote Originally Posted by PeterGwee View Post
    Potassium sulphate is K2SO4 and not KH2PO4.

    Regards,
    Peter Gwee
    ups... I fail my chemistry
    -Robert
    Aquascaping is a marriage between Art and Farming
    My Blog: http://aquatic-art.blogspot.com/

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    Robert, you are the only that fail chemistry. Actually, how do you know what is lacking in water for a planted tank? Looks like you need to get 1 of those machine that I see in CSI, put whatever inside and they tell you what is in it...Where they get all those wonderful toys.

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    that is why I follow EI, no need to understand chemistry and the bestthing is no need buy those tester
    -Robert
    Aquascaping is a marriage between Art and Farming
    My Blog: http://aquatic-art.blogspot.com/

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    If my fertilizing regime is such that I only dose once a week instead of every other day and each time the dose is 3x the amount for the every-other-day-dose method, is the result the same? It's like eating the whole week's worth of food every Sunday so that the other days no need to eat ....

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    the excess fert should be in the water, what I'm afraid of is your live stock. The idea of dossing it seperately is to avoid shock to your live stock
    -Robert
    Aquascaping is a marriage between Art and Farming
    My Blog: http://aquatic-art.blogspot.com/

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    guys sorry im an absolute newbie, is it vital to have any form of fertilisation regime at all?

    my planted tank without foreground plants seem to do ok without any fertilisation
    Last edited by Wackytpt; 12th Sep 2007 at 21:23. Reason: grammar

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